The stage is set for one of the biggest nights of the year at Rupp Arena. Tomorrow night, the Tennessee Volunteers come to town seeking revenge.
Kentucky will be wearing the 1996-inspired Denim uniforms. The crowd will be deafening. And the Wildcats have a chance to secure a regular-season sweep over their bitter rival.
Back on January 17th, the Cats walked into Thompson-Boling Arena and pulled off a heist, escaping with an 80-78 victory.
But if you remember that game, you know it wasn't easy. Kentucky had to claw back from the dead to get that win. Here is a look back at how they did it and what they must do tomorrow to avoid digging another massive hole.
The Blueprint from Knoxville
If you look at the box score from Game 1, it is a miracle Kentucky won. With 3:25 left in the first half, the Cats were down 41-24. They were getting run out of the gym. Tennessee guard Ja'Kobi Gillespie (24 points) was torching them, and the energy was flat.
Denzel Aberdeen caught fire, pouring in 22 points on 7-of-11 shooting. Mouhamed Dioubate added 10 points and 6 rebounds, bringing a physical toughness that changed the game in the second half. Kentucky closed the gap to 11 at halftime and then slowly chipped away in the second half.
The chaos finish
The final minute in Knoxville was absolute madness. Trailing late, Collin Chandler came through in the clutch, as he has a tendency to do. He picked off a Gillespie pass for a steal and threw it ahead to Oweh, who finished at the rim to take the lead with 34 seconds left.
After Aberdeen added a layup to make it 80-77, the game came down to one final play. Gillespie made the first, but missed the 2nd free throw on purpose to try to give Tennessee a chance. Jaylen Carey grabbed the offensive board and tried to lay it in at the buzzer. But he found himself too far under the backboard. Malachi Moreno met him as he was going up and blocked him. Moreno’s fourth block of the night happened as time expired, sealing the win.
Keys to the rematch
If Kentucky wants to sweep the Vols, they cannot rely on a 17-point comeback again. Here is what needs to happen tomorrow:
1. Start Fast
In Knoxville, Kentucky, sleepwalked through the first 15 minutes. Against a team as disciplined as Tennessee, you cannot afford to fall down double digits at home. The denim energy in Rupp should help, but the players have to match the crowd's intensity from the tip.
2. Contain Gillespie
Ja'Kobi Gillespie was a nightmare in the first matchup. He finished with 24 points and 8 assists. Otega Oweh and Collin Chandler need to make his life more difficult and force someone else to beat them.
3. The Turnover Battle
This was the deciding factor in Game 1. Kentucky forced 12 turnovers and racked up 14 steals (Chandler had 3, Oweh had 2). Those steals led to easy transition buckets that fueled the comeback. If Kentucky can turn this into a track meet, they win. If Tennessee turns it into a half-court wrestling match, it gets dangerous.
4. Protect the Paint
Tennessee outrebounded Kentucky 36-29 in the first game. With Moreno and Brandon Garrison playing better basketball recently, Kentucky has to be stronger on the glass. You cannot give a Rick Barnes team second chances on the road.
The atmosphere will be electric. The uniforms will be iconic. But the game will be won in the mud.
Kentucky proved they can beat Tennessee when everything goes wrong. Now, they need to show they can beat them when things go right.